The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1887-11-19
A PRISON SuYL0CK.
HOW HE WORKED THE UNION
OFFICERS IN CHARLESTON.


OFFICERS IN CHARLESTON.
Prisoner of War in 1sGi-Confcdcratc
Money to Lend-A Sacl,el Full of
Drafts.
AN officer who was prisoner of war in
Charleston i'll 1864, now sojourning ut the
Hygta hotel, tells the following story:
81 never see II steamer approach the dock at
Fortress Monroe that do not recall un Incl
dent OF ,li" w;r. If You caro- to listen to an
other ot tha>; twice told tales / will tell it to
you.
'''iiv ;-;!.'i,,l Il lis were st nj from Macon
to Ct:'@' ,i'',' l'" placed ulld,r the fire OF
the i';."n i :" il, OH Mnlri> island that
We, =, .'.in. Charleston We were
nev' !', :'.":.,,l danger, fer slellinr a
ciiN ..,.. Il t,u. ur tiy. miles wos
no: if'''i,sc ..!'d proluh never
Wi ~ i,..:';,; T. 'i'!" is concerned.
T!n'- i s.,.,.,',,. lr:lalle 10 do bust
r" - t." ,i:.i..-.. ii::r. and citizens
To- .''4 ..i III aud catntor able To luov..
O.: iis i=itc'- of the city reached bv
G.' .''r !,'. .li;e'>. l'll tuiun officers
: %. GOT '::',! - in' It,a iol, AMI do not
th.'.'>'' ''''' 'E":n list any serp after the
I fl'>f '':, "'' i"" on ;,crount of tho lombard
m.ii NJ one Of them wns injured during
I tlirr st;is.
"'nt ail Of ihc,n got very hard up for
m"ntH. Ni'"i! 'l.rv were in Richmond, in
Libby. r",t:u.' .';il oa with the north was
compare lvc!: etsv Ia i!loS, who had friends
wiiin:s ai"i n@e to sei. provisions or money
In Eiisi'ifs''lf Il WAS Very different The
pf's"h lara ""s very poor, and the medical
att"jr:;s:r'e ..a,,.> bad rs could hc. In the
era IL. vi s's -. II the sereSh seemed to he
Nci'' ror l'"ioro We had been there very
l"i. lii" money even of the richest of the
priS"nc!s ";,s E',l!s. There wrlr many among
us wn" were the sons, brothers, or near rela
tiv"S 't these in the north who had plenty of
n"n"N ut they were ut OF from cominuni
/ cation with lis. Many "f them sent gold to
triri'ls in prison, lat ,, never reached as
"rlrre then appeared among lis Il new
prisoner. He w;s, Ii, said, Il Union officer
from a New i"ri; regiment He had very
little of ,h" soldier about hm. He rather re-
minded You of n WHISKY drummer or Il
Chatham street clothing dealer But he had
charm. He ha'l money to lend -Cunre,lrr-
at" money. 1h" money wuui.l not buy much.
hut IT wonhl i,uv something. :. dollar in
gold '"n:i i'r sold for about sH!O in this cur
ren,'y 'suts,slc %! the prison. We did not have
any gold, but he dit not demand gold He
loaned hiS Confederate money for northern
drafts nt double the rate of gold III the
Charleston market. That is, lie would give
You s ,o2o i'll Confederate money for IL draft
o' @l") on iatcr, brother, wife, OF son in
any of the great northern cities. He sail b.
w"'lld take 'hn risk Of collecting the drafts,
and rl'Iine'1 iiim>c on lis generosity lie
soo had 'il-: ,lncl>, and did /. fine business.
FROM officers he took notes indorsetl by Other
officers. Tn"S,. lie charged for at the rate of
500 in Confederate money for IA noto of s!OC
-four times the rate for gold in tho Charles.
ton market.
"11e was shrcw,l fellow, and picked his
customers with as much care as curstonc
broker. IT was soon discovered that he had an
unlimited supply of Confederate money, and
it was also soon discovered that ho was a
faNorite prisoner, for he scc,ned able to come
aud (" on parole al will He visited the hos,
piial frequently, ami there lie found his best
customers He took from each ui the suffer
cr, a hitter to his friends ut home describing
th" livations Of the sick. From all the off
cor n"; in the hospital lie took letter, of
t''''s INITIAL with the drafts, setting forth that
th' ta;'E"i' had done them great service in
cas:l!l-s ;l!" draft, and expressing the hope
tina i'y would lo paid.
J ,i'''' "!''lH lions occupied about six weeks.
81, ;tirr IN" man had secured drafts 10 the
an ''.H OF about Soo,ooO i'll goll-for every
d. i;!l'l!!,:;'Hl that it was to bc paid in gold
''.i - i.4"ii at big premium in the north,
s" ;il ''iT,'. Tor sleJ woul1 be worth $50 OF
p.ih;'.,' 500 in the north, if it wns pad III
god. The spcrnlator intended to make money
,.,.. f.,., ,,,', s,a,onn '''i "o ,'ouio
r'',.i,;. ,,,.,,,. N'N'' ''' t'''s'''e''N M
.,I,', '1,,. :, ...n., ,.,... .,,
r. .,,.,,:ni,',, ~ "e'" "
y, ny vi" nay
l.,. i,.,.,- ,r, .''' ,''eNy ie4
'..,...,,,. ,', ,', Nv o:"ei vas 4
,,.,. ,,,..',.,s r,, ,".,..n ,.', ,ll' .o'
,.,'',...,.l. ~, .''. us n"'''''
, !,.,,s,a1 I'M s"a ','o '.nue a'i
H., rL, ,.,.. ~ ''''' 10" iron
'.,,.. <, en' ou' W '''e t't',"' y"
e "a 'r.'''u ."e N"e
=, "a W ''''''fa 'h'
r,t ,s"' -. Wv uet'''' ',!c'''o VI '''
'''''''''' ''' a. i1''''''' ii''''
,.a,.. -, , ,.,' ''''i"O - "'S
i,','', ,'f'. r., =, " W."
' ". - =. e'a ioe " ie. ei''
H., =, ''', ~,
'e'.,. ,"I e"'.'' " " aaA'is.on' ih'
,''.'., ~ ., '"1' ~ '"'"'', o''icel MAJ
IN e, ''''' III ''i.,i =. i'o'.'e'i
''7 '''u .'e money
e.. li'I; '''a,1 "'.a Tue cavalry
va. 80. -. '''fs wv ~ '''ei i't''
~ i'e' 'e'' an o''5t' III .''e oi'nh ''rny' bu
w. ..''' ''e var '.'"-Ny ,i' '''o e''' prison d
''',. ''''s', " ~. w." 'ne lti>o''"'' 'of th'
l''... ~ '',- ''''S ''S"H W 'i'S'' chS;
40 ','e h,aa" s''t'!i's' up .io paS Toward
.i, ''''.. ''S i'' '',p ''i 'i'''ie5 'ne
~. in'i'f" from uh''e' MS mattress "s;''ai sacnei
in'S vas us ont ""i;s !'': cavalry
oli'''r mo "ii'y 'he e,othe' "l, US Dack, an,
,' .,'''. nc ii'''i borrower IRON ven ''""!Ntd
Inc Two Went on deck. me money lender
pushed his way eagerly to the forward dccl
aud stood by tine ca,stun Presently he PLACED
his ,,lecio,l. bag upon the top Of the capstan
bolr, mr. ,t,,u,ni ,,.:v.v,r WITH ti,eht orin
..,,',; III, ,,,,.ai., ae;,,,. o,.,; ~,
'e'' nan o'.et a'ii'' .i Wv
chores u,,f ,,,,c,,.,,i,t, in t,,o .rci..,n,.,,t nj
n loudi,,r after a three DAYS sno yo,ooc